State removes more horses from woman who gave up 13

OSWEGO – Two horses, which the state allowed a woman to keep after she was cited in a humane care violation involving 13 other horses, have been impounded, officials said.

Angela Beers, 36, address unknown, gave up seven of her own horses in October, and six horses in her care were returned to their owners, after a humane care complaint, said Jeff Squibb, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The horses were kept at Flanery Farms, on the 47W200 block of Ramm Road in Burlington Township near Maple Park, where Beers lived for a time, officials said.

Beers relocated her two remaining horses at Horizon Quarter Horses in the 2500 block of Wolf Road in Oswego, and took on the care of two additional horses. On Friday, the state impounded Beers’ two horses she had been allowed to keep and took them to the Hooved Animal Humane Society in Woodstock, Squibb said, because it appeared that Beers had just left the horses. The additional two that had been in her care have been returned to their owners, he said.

“This case has occupied most of our time the past several months,” Squibb said. “During the course of our investigation, we determined it would be appropriate to issue an impoundment order.”

The department allowed Beers to keep the two remaining horses because under state law, the animals are property and cannot be taken without cause, Squibb said.

Beers could not be reached for comment, but in previous comments, Beers admitted she purposely “underfed” horses in her care in 2009 and in 2012 when her funds ran low, but denied that she starved them.

Joyce Benes who owns Horizon Quarter Horses with her husband, said she reported that Beers abandoned the horses.

“She had not been out in two weeks, and we were taking care of the horses,” Benes said of Beers. “[We] defended those horses and their care since November and demanded they be taken care of.”

Hooved Animal Humane Society Executive Director Tracy McGonigle confirmed their facility received two underweight male thoroughbreds belonging to Beers, with body scores of 4 and 3.5. The ideal body score for a horse is 5 on a scale that measures equine condition. Both were seen by a veterinarian and a farrier, she said.

“They were not in that bad a condition,” McGonigle said. “One is slightly thin, and one is thin [but] they shouldn’t be underweight.”

No charges have been filed against Beers. A spokesman for the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said officials are continuing an investigation as the agriculture department forwarded its findings to them in December. The Kendall County State’s Attorney’s office did not return a voicemail message.